


It Just Takes Time

by scifishipper



Category: Battlestar Galactica (2003)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, F/M, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-26
Updated: 2012-06-26
Packaged: 2017-11-08 14:07:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/443983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scifishipper/pseuds/scifishipper
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kendra can't get past her guilt for not saving Admiral Cain. AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It Just Takes Time

"I should have seen it coming – should have done more." Kendra doesn't look at Lee when she speaks, her face half-muffled by the pillow of her sickbay bed. It’s the same refrain she’s been saying since Cain’s murder, almost the first words out of her mouth when she’d regained consciousness. The bullet had slid through her chest, nicking an artery and puncturing her lung, leaving her bleeding out on Cain’s floor as the cylon killed the Admiral.

“Kendra, you almost died.” He squeezes her hand, ignoring the distance she’s trying to put between them.

“I wasn’t fast enough, wasn’t the razor Cain needed me to be.” Kendra’s voice sounds wooden and Lee strokes the soft skin on the inside of her wrist. He knows it costs her to say this much.

“No one could have been fast enough. She was waiting for Cain _in her quarters_.” Lee can’t stress enough how incredible it is that Kendra survived. Their romance, completely hidden and against the rules had happened unexpectedly, and now he can’t think about what it would mean if she were gone. 

Lee swallows down the feelings and brushes her dark hair off her face. She keeps her eyes averted, undoubtedly playing the film of that night in her head. She gave her report, provided all the details, but he’d never once seen her cry.

“Don’t you have somewhere to be?” she asks pointedly, her dark eyes narrowing, and Lee smiles. She’s done talking.

“Not getting rid of me that easily.” He kisses her forehead and leans back against the chair, his clipboard edge against his thigh. “And you need to get out of that bed and walk anyway. Cottle said you’re up for it.”

“Major Cottle won’t be back for another few days. I’m fine.” Kendra shifts against the pillow, moving to sit and gives him a bland expression. Lee waits her out, used to the quietness between them, an unexpected peace in this crazy war.

“Let me see how it looks.” He gestures to her chest, to the healing surgery scar.

Kendra raises an eyebrow. “Are you coming onto me, Major?” 

Lee just smiles and leans forward as Kendra pulls aside the blue hospital gown’s sleeve to reveal a red gash of a scar on her right breast. 

“Not very pretty,” she says, frowning and pulling at the fabric to cover herself.

“Hey,” Lee says, capturing her hand and pulling her fingers to his lips. “Just as beautiful as before.”

Kendra’s face pulls into a frown, but her eyes linger on his, maybe believing, maybe not, but he means it. 

Lee leans forward and kisses her mouth, gently, a confirmation of his words as his hand touches her face. Kendra’s lips part and he deepens the kiss, tongue sliding along her full lower lip, dipping inside to swipe against her teeth.

Kendra’s fingers wraps around the thin fabric of his tanks, pulling him closer, kissing him with an energy that belies her invalid state. He breathes her in, antiseptic and dirty hair and everything else he’s missed for weeks. His body responds and he tamps it down, holding on to his own arousal to allow his hands to slide down her side and cup her other breast. 

Her nipple hardens under his tweaking fingers and she moans into his mouth, “I’ve missed this.” He’s missed it, too, and he kisses her harder until he’s breathless and breaks away to kiss her cheeks and jaw and then back to her mouth again. 

Kendra’s hand snakes down his chest to squeeze his erection and he stills, reveling in the feel of it, wanting more that he can’t have. Not yet. 

Lee threads his fingers around hers and pulls her hand away, pinning it against the dark strands of hair that spread out on the pillow. His other hand skims down her abdomen, finding the hem of her gown and the softness of her thigh. With a small sigh, she spreads her legs, breaking their kiss to tilt her head back, eyes closed as he licks down the line of her throat to nip at her collarbone. 

She’s wet for him, tilting her hips up as he slides a finger gently inside, working slowly, drawing it out as he uncovers her chest with his free hand, the blue fabric sliding aside. He inserts another finger as his lips find her nipple, his tongue, his teeth. She gasps, arching her back when he bites, her fingers pulling at his hair. “Oh, gods.”

His mouth travels across her chest, finding the other nipple, his nose just below the scar and she tenses. He stills his hand, moving his mouth away, planting small kisses along the mound of her breast until her hand pushes him back over her nipple. “S’okay.” 

He takes the bud into his mouth, sucking, then moves his fingers again, stroking faster and faster, feeling her heart beat against her ribcage, the dampness of her skin as she strains against his hand. “Please, Lee,” she moans and his soaking fingers find her clit, making feather light strokes until she writhes on the bed, fingernails digging into his arm, mouth seeking his. 

He kisses her back, mouth mimicking his fingers as his strokes become faster, harder, her body beginning to shudder and then slam into orgasm, hips lifting off the bed with a sharp intake of air and a groan. His hand rides or orgasm, body pressed against hers as much as he can, face buried into her neck.

Her body calms and he slides his hand back up along her stomach, and chest to awkwardly slide his arms around her back. She returns the embrace, stronger than he expects and feels the warmth of her face against his neck. 

Kendra’s breathing slows and Lee feels the tremors begin in her back, vibrating through her and he realizes that she is crying. He tries to pull back, look at her and she just holds him tighter, forcing a choking sob into his neck. He doesn’t press, just holds her until it passes and she pulls away. 

“You okay?” He asks, not really expecting they’ll talk about it. 

She nods and sniffs and pulls her gown back over her chest. Lee adjusts her blankets and leans away, giving her space as she turns away from him on the bed. He touches her shoulder and slides off the bed, adjusting his tanks and his pants and pulling his jacket off the chair to slide it on. It’s not a rejection, exactly, he understands, but there’s not much he can do but let her have her time. 

“I’m going to go,” Lee says, picking up his clipboard and pen. She doesn’t move and he frowns, turning to go.

“See you tomorrow?” Kendra’s looking over her shoulder at him, face softer than he expects. He can’t help the smile from spreading across his face.

“Tomorrow.” Their eyes linger a long moment and then he parts the curtains and leaves.


End file.
